Orthopedic appliance



Sept. 19, 1950 L- G. BLACK ORTHOPEDIC APPLIANCE Filed Jan. 4, 1946 [lure/2 Zor 6. 5140/6 Patented Sept. 19, 1950 oRTnoPEDIo APPLIANCE Lewis G. Black, Los Angelcs, Calif. 1 Application January 4, 1946, Serial No. 638,935

This invention relates in general to orthopedic appliances and contemplates the provision of improvements applicable to leg braces of means which will readily and conveniently permit the flexing of the braces at the knee joint so that when walking a user will not be or appear to be stiff-legged and when changing from an erect to a sitting posture the braces will respond to the bending of the knee without any manual effort.

It is customary to provide leg braces which while capable of bending or pivoting with the knee of a user requires the latching and unlatching of connected parts of the braces, when changing from a sitting to a standing posture or vice versa, by manual effort. Hence, in such usual forms of orthopedic devices inconvenient and extraordinary operations are necessary for accommodating the braces to different postures of the user.

A primary object of this invention is to provide in connection with a more or less conven-: tional type of leg brace a fluid operated means which includes pressure responsive elements positioned under the heel of the shoe and at approximately the knee joint Which are eifective for displacing fluid from one to the other of said elements as the posture of the user is changed, and a mechanical latch adjacent the knee joint which locks when the weight of the body is placed on the heel of one foot and unlocks when the weight is shifted to the heel of the other foot, as when walking. Other objects may appear as the description progresses. I

I have shown a preferred form of appliance embodying my improvements in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational viewjof a brace applied to a human leg as seen from a side;

Fig. 2 is a view of the same as seen from the front;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 except for certain thigh attaching portions and showing the upper and lower brace members in locked position as when the full weight of a body is on one of the heels of a foot;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 except that the weight on the heel has been relieved and the upper and lower braces are unlocked;

Fig.5 is a sectional elevation on line 5 -5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is atfragmentary bottom plan View of a shoe to which the appliance is attached;

Fig. "7 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of the lower portion of the appliance as when affixed to a shoe as shown in Figs. 3 and l; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section on line 8--8 of Fig. 3.

It is usual in appliances of the general character of those disclosed herein to provide rigid 3 Claims. (01. 128-80) and 2.

upper braces I, I on opposite portions ofthe upper leg L and relatively pivoted lower braces 2, 2, which are hinged together as at points 3.

Usually the upper braces I are suitably attached to' a wide belt B adapted to be laced as at 4 around the thigh of a leg, while the lower braces 2 are suitably attached to a narrow belt B applicable to the calf of a leg, as shown in Figs. 1

The lower braces 2 are also attachable by suitable means toa shoe S so that, theoretically at least, the braces I and 2 will pivot at points3 But it is desirable in order to afford security and stability as the posture of the user is-changed. Heretofor'e it has been necessary for a user to tighten or loosen" when the knee is bent.

a set screw or other device so that the braces I and 2 might be moved relatively, thereby'inconveniencing a user when changing from one to another posture. whereas I have provided means which is automatically operable for adapting the braces to changes in posture. I prefer to accomplish such result by the employment of fluid pressure which operates to latch and unlatch the upper and lower braces in accordance with intended movements of the user. To such end I mount a latch A at the juncture of one set of braces I and 2 adjacent the knee position which includes a portion 5 at the lower extremity of a brace I which is provided with a notch 6, and a relatively adjustable latchbar 'I carried by the connected brace 2 and is adapted at times to seat in notch 6 of brace I. Bar 1 is and has a head 9 thereon fitting the bore of said cylinder, between which and an end ID a spring I I is compressed and tends to move the latch bar I downwardlyfrom engagement with notch 6 of brace I when the weight of thebody is not on the heel S1 of shoe S, but when theweight is on the heel spring II is compressed as latch bar 1 moves upwardly so that its upper end will engage notch 6. I

In cylinder 8 between head 9 of bar I and an end closure I2 is a chamber I3 which. in the form of device shown, houses a bellows I4 or the like which is connected as bymeans of a flexible tube I5 with a bellows IE or the like carried by the heel S1 of the shoe S. The bellows I4 and I6 and their connecting tubeI5 are filledwith a.

suitable fluid so that when the weight of the body is placed on the heel Si as in Fig. 1 the contained fluid W111 be displaced from the bellows s into Q As the weight of the body is shifted from one to the other foot as in walking the tension of spring I I retracts bar 1 in cylinder 8 vandat the? same timecompressesbellows I4 and effects a" 3 return of fluid into bellows l6, thereby unlatching bar 1 from brace I, and permitting the bending of the knee of the user and the pivotal movement of braces I and 2. Bellows I6 is enclosed in a chamber I'Ijof the heel S1. Said heel, as shown in Fig. 7 is movable relative to a heel plate l8 aflixed to the bottom I9 of the shoe S as by means of studs 20 fixed to and depending from. Said studs.

plate 18 and carrying lock nuts 2|. extend through webs 22 in heel S 1 and as weight on the heel is relieved the fluid pressure in bellows Sasby meansof a suitable bracket or clamp 25.-

Thus when walking the foot of a user will pivot OIhthBvtlllIl-l'llOllS .23 of .one foot as-the heel is lifted and the weight of the body is carried by theheebofthe other-foot. Asv the weight is relieved from the: heel of one foot and shifted to theother foot the :bar 1 will automatically unlock.-.from brace -l and the leg may be normally bent at. the knee without-occasioning the operationof anylatoh or look, but as soon as a step hasabeen completed and the weight again is shifted .to the first foot the braces'will be again lockedazuntil' the completion of an ensuing step by-the otherl-foot.

Thus,--while standing. erect, the weight of the body maybe upon-one -or both' feetdepending upon. a-particular-stance-of the user, but when the-userstarts towalk all of the weight of the bodysis at least momentarilyon first one foot and then the otherwhile the latch A of one leg islocked anduthe=other latch is unlocked. When changing from a standing to a sitting posture themereliitingof one-heel after the other will efi'ect"the-'unlocking'ofthe leg braces and permit the knees-tobend anda user togracefully assume asitting position:

It willbe noted that in my appliance there are no valves or manually operableparts, a user will notappear to bezstiff-legged or embarrassed 'while attempting-toappear-natural by reason-of theneceessity for operating certainparts when one desires to change hispostura and the complete appliance-is of generally conventional character and requires nothing-more in its application to a-shoeythan thearemoval of a usual heel and its replacement by one of'my designaand the application of thebrace supports 25 to thebottom of the shoe arches.

. Iclaim:

1.i An orthopedic appliance comprising: a brace for avhuman leg including upper and lower sect'rons attachable, respectively, to the leg at points above-and below and hingedl connected adjacent theknee joint, a latch carried by said sections adjacent theknee joint, a shoe carried on the foot of a user to which said lower sections are pivotally attached and having a heel adjustablethereon, a bellows carried by the heelof the shoe anda second bellows carried by the lower sections of the brace whereby when the weight of a body is upon the heel the bellows thereon will contract and cause said latch to be moved to brace locking position and when the weight of the bodyis. removed from the .heel the-heel bellows will-ex- 4 pand and the latch will be automatically adjusted so as to unlock the brace sections.

2. An orthopedic appliance comprising: a brace for a human leg including upper and lower sections attachable, respectively, to the leg at points above and below and hingedly connected adjacent the knee joint, a latch carried by said sections adjacent the knee joint, a shoe adapted to be worn on the foot of a user to which said lower sections are pivotally attached, a cylinder attached to one of said lower sections, a bellows carried by said cylinder and engaging said latch so that when the bellows is expanded, the latch will .beurged into latched connection with the upper section, a spring in said cylinder urging said'latch into engagement with said bellowsand urging said bellows into contracted position as when the latch .is disconnected from the upper section, and a second bellows carried withinthe heel of -the shoe andin communication with the first mentioned bellowswhereby fluid discharged from. the first bellows will flow into, and expand the heel bellows and .fluid discharged. from. the heel' bellows as the same is contracted will-flow into and expand the first bellows .for .establishing a latched connection between the upper and lower sections of the brace as the weight i s. respectively relieved fromand placed. upon the.

heel of the shoe.

3. An orthopedic appliancecomprising: a brace fora humanleg including upper and lowersections attachable, respectively, to the leg at points above and below. and hingedlyconnectedadjacent the knee joint, a latch carried bysaid sections adjacent the. knee joint, .a shoe ,adapted to beworn on the foot of -a userto which said lower sections are pivotally attached, a cylinder attached to one of said. lower sections, a bellows carriedv by said .cylinderand engaging said latch so that when the bellows isexpanded, the latch will be. urged into latched connectionwith the upper section, .aspring. in said cylinder urging said latch into engagement with said bellows and urgingsaid bellows into contracted position as when the latch is disconnected .from .the upper section, and a second bellows carried within the heel of the shoe and in communication with the first mentioned bellows whereby fluid discharged.

from the first bellowsw'ill flow intoandexpand theheelbellows and fluid discharged from the, heel bellows as the same is contracted will flow into and expand the first-bellows for establishing a latched connection... between the upper and lower sections of the brace as the weight is -respectively relieved from and placed upon the heel of the. shoe, said heelbeingadjustable on the shoe so that as the bellows carried thereby is expanded the .heel will move away from the sole of the ,shoe but as .said bellows is contracted,

the heel will be .restored to normal position against the sole of the shoe.

, LEwIs 0. BLACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are'of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date g 9,202. Russell Aug. 1'7,,.1852;

431,797 Blattmachr July 8, 1890 2,107,095 Wagner Feb. 1, .1938 2,182,214 Sargeson Dec. 5, 1939 2,305,291 Filippi Dec 15,,-1942 

